1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a connector ground which mounts on a circuit or P.C. board so as to straddle a shielded connector. In particular, the ground includes a tab which is coplanar with a surface during the assembly of the connector ground to the P.C. board and thereby does not contact the straddled connector. However, the tab rotates in concert with a spring finger when the board is placed or installed into an enclosure thereby contacting the connector which is straddled by the connector ground.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, connector grounds which ground a shielded connector to a circuit or P.C. board are known. Connector grounds allow higher input/output speed between computers and peripherals. However, clearance is required between the connector ground and the shielded connector during the mounting of the connector ground due to the tolerance of the assembly process. Therefore, in order to provide electrical communication between the connector ground and the shielded connector, these connector grounds typically require pre-assembly to the shielded connector prior to the installation of the circuit board into the enclosure. Furthermore, it is extremely important that the connector ground be in secure electrical communication with the shielded connector after the circuit board is installed within the enclosure or similar support.
Representative prior art includes grounding springs which mount on a shielded connector and shunt electrical current into an enclosure through spring fingers. Other prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,076.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate the pre-assembly of the connector ground to the shielded connector prior to the installation of the circuit board into the enclosure or similar structure.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide a connector ground which has a secure electrical connection to a straddled shielded connector on a circuit board after the circuit board has been installed into an enclosure or similar structure.
These and other objects are attained by providing a connector ground which includes a spring finger on a surface and at least one U-shaped slot on the surface thereby resulting in a tab therewithin. When the spring finger is free of engagement, the tab is unflexed and therefore coplanar with the surface during assembly so that the tab does not touch a shielded connector straddled by the connector ground. However, when the board is installed into the enclosure or similar structure, the spring finger interferes with the enclosure causing the spring finger and the tab to flex or rotate so that the tab electrically and mechanically engages the shielded connector.